Happy Saturday everyone! I just wanted to say thank you for all the wonderful reviews! Also for everyone who has given me suggestions for ideas in my chapters, please understand I have read them and I do plan to add 99% of the suggestions I was given in my story, I just haven't gotten to that point yet. I am listening to you I promise! Anyways I hope everyone enjoys my newest chapter!

I don't own anything to do with nightmare before Christmas.

Chapter 9 part one

That night was a sleepless night for all three of the ex boogie boys, and for three completely different reasons. Shock had woken up once again from another nightmare about lightning and was too afraid to fall back asleep, Barrel was still struck with guilt for his poorly chosen actions, and Lock started out sitting awake all night with his arms crossed, furious with everything Jack had made him and his friends do, and for being sent to bed. No one had any right to tell Lock what to do, and he refused to put up with it, he was the boss, not Jack. It was okay though, the devil boy would get his revenge tomorrow.

Locks spiteful attitude had eased hours later from tiredness. It really was a long exhausting day. He pulled the covers up, curled in a ball ready to fall asleep, and just dream of how he was going to get back at his wicked pumpkin king tomorrow, but his thought's got interrupted by some small coughs. The young devil boy thought, 'must be the dry air in here,' He rolled over to try to get comfortable, but once he did so he felt the urge to sneeze. Lock sneezed exactly four times, he sniffled, and rolled back over to where he was before, which caused him to cough again, this time the coughs became stronger. He sniffled again, and right away felt an achy pain in his stomach. His stomach now paining, he thought it would be best to roll on his back to ease the pain, but when he did so he regretted it. The young devil boy became a coughing, sneezing, sniffling, belly paining mess. He felt his head begin to pound. Oh no this can't be happening, Lock thought to himself, I'm not getting sick, am I? ...

That morning, Sally was happily humming to herself in the kitchen, preparing bacon and eggs for breakfast, while Jack was setting the table.

"I invited the Mayor to come over this morning," He told Sally, "So Lock, Shock, and Barrel can apologies for what had happened yesterday."

"Do you think the Mayor will accept their apology?" The rag doll asked, turning to her beloved Jack.

"I really hope so." The master of fright said simply, "I've never been a fan on holding a grudge against anyone, especially against children."

Sally still looked at Jack, "Do you think they learned their lesson?"

The pumpkin king just shrugged, "I hope so," He said sincerely, but it was impossible to tell with those three, one minute they would listen and were as good as gold, and the next they were three little monsters, "When I was a child, I never enjoyed being sent to bed without dessert, so I don't practically enjoy doing it to somebody else."

Sally continued cooking the bacon, "I know that Jack," She said softly, "However you didn't do it to be purposely mean, they could have gotten hurt sneaking out by themselves like that, or hurt somebody else. It is all about safety for them, and the people around them. You acted out of love not hate, so don't feel as though you had done anything wrong."

Jack smiled, feeling a little bit better, "Thank you Sally, you always have the right words to say," The pumpkin king said sincerely.

"Why thank you," The rag doll said, turning back to Jack, "And you are very welcome."

The master of fright gazed at his wonderful girlfriend, and setting down the last plate before deciding to walk over to her, and give her a kiss.

He gracefully walked over to her, spinning her around from her cooking, ready to give her a quick loving kiss on the lips. This time he had no kids to interrupt. Something the master of fright had wanted to do for days now, and their lips were just about to touch...

"Ring! Ring! Ring!"

"Jack! You, home?" A cheerful Mayor's voice called.

The master of fright sighed, "I had better get the door I guess, before he starts really yelling."

Sally gave him a shy grin, watching Jack exist the room. Returning to cooking breakfast.

Jack had greeted the Mayor into the kitchen, and called from upstairs for the trio to come down.

Shock was the first to come out into the hallway, and waited for her friends to join her to the walk of shame downstairs. Barrel came second, toddling out of his room and hurrying over to his eldest friend.

"This is going to be so humiliating," Shock grumbled.

"Yeah I kn-," Barrel paused, right when he noticed Lock coming out of his room.

"What was that-," Shock paused, also seeing her best friend come trudging out of his room.

Locks face was as pale as zero's, he had big bags under his eyes, and was slowly dragging his feet to join his friends, while holding his stomach with one hand, and covering his mouth with the other, while coughing.

"Y-you look terrible," Barrel commented. Never in his lifetime has he ever seen Lock look this bad.

"I feel terrible," Lock sniffed with an obvious stuffed up nose. Right after he spoke he broke into a vicious cough.

Shock tried her best not to smile. She knew he'd get sick, and just like she promised yesterday, she didn't care. He was warned, but refused to listen. She was just about to say, I told you so, but got cut off by Jack calling them for a second time to come downstairs.

"Let's get this over with," Barrel sighed, turning to the stairs. Shock slowly followed, and Lock even more slowly, followed her.

The trio piled in the kitchen, all six eyes looking every which way other then Jack or the Mayors direction. This was the worst part of the punishment, it was humiliating to start with, and they weren't particularly sorry for what they had done to the Mayor. Not even Barrel, he had it coming to him, calling them brats countless times in the past, and did he ever say sorry to them? Nope!

Lock and Shock were both furious with Jack over this part of the punishment, they never saw their pumpkin king stand up for any of them. He'd never make the mayor apologies to them, and the master of fright would certainty never ban the Mayor from, town hall for his actions. This wasn't fair at all! The two oldest ex boogie boys seen it no other way, Jack hated them and was purposely trying to ruin their lives.

Barrel hated the idea of even saying he was sorry when he wasn't, but he wasn't angry with Jack over it, he was angry that the Mayor actually expected them to say they were sorry, but he would still apologize for two very important reasons, one being to hopefully get on Jack and Sally's good side, and for two so him and his friends could return to their tree house, where they were allowed to have dessert whenever they wanted and didn't get sent to bed. For all the ex boogie boys the second reason was the one they all agreed on.

They stood in front of the town Mayor, it was almost impossible to look at him. There was a long pause before Jack spoke.

"Go on, you three know exactly what to say," He said softly, gesturing to the Mayor.

Barrel swallowed, trying his best to sound sincere, "We are.." He stopped, he couldn't stomach another word after getting a glimpse of the Mayors face.

There was another pause, so Shock decided she should continue, "Really.." Her stomach twisted on the inside, unable to keep going, it was too much that final word was impossible to even stomach.

Lock, who had something completely different on his mind had no problem attempting to spit out the last horrid word.

"Sor-", Apparently it really was to challenging of a word to stomach because once the young devil boy tried to finish his word, his body kicked his stomach from the insides, and Lock not with any intentions to do so, vomited right on the Mayors shoes.

It took everything Shock and Barrel had not to burst out laughing. It really wasn't funny, Lock really was very sick. It was that he puked right on the Mayor at what they could all agree was the perfect timing that made it so humorous.

Jack and Sally froze for a moment, trying to comprehend what had just happened. They really only clued in once the Mayor gave out a huge screech.

"Ah! Disgusting!" The mayor cried in utter disgust.

Sally had ignored the mayor, and rushed over to Lock, and gently, but quickly placing a soft hand on the child's forehead, which was something Lock would never allow anyone to do any other time, but he was just too sick to even care at this moment.

"He's burning up," Sally said softly, with a voice filled with concern.

Jack hurried over to Lock, also ignoring the Mayor who was still on a rampage about what had just happened.

"I'll take him back up to bed," The master of fright said, giving Lock a sympathetic look.

He was just about to scoop the child up, but the young devil felt the same urge to vomit once again, but this time tried to at least get to the trash can, but after taking one step he threw up again, this time on the floor.

Shock and Barrel slowly backed away from him, they didn't want to be the next ones having to scrub puke off themselves.

Lock had resorted to sitting on the floor, his brain was pounding against his skull. Everything around him was spinning and he felt burning hot. He didn't care how he looked or what anyone was to do to him at this very moment, all he wanted was to feel normal, but right now that feeling had felt impossible.

He felt the urge to hurl once more, but he was unable to move from the pain his stomach was causing him. Sally noticed and quickly got her mop bucket, and placed it in-front of the sick child.

She knelled on the floor with him, wrapping an arm around him to try to comfort him best she could. The worst possible thing to see for her was a sick child.

Shock and Barrel watched while their friend continued to puke what they thought was his guts out, with Sally at his side trying to help best she could. Jack was now tending too the Mayor giving him paper towel to wipe off the mess on his shoes.

"Wicked little brats," The Mayor murmured under his breath, shooting a glare in Shock and Barrels direction.

"I am terribly sorry for this Mayor really," Jack said softly, now wiping up the vomit on the floor, "This was just a terrible accident."

"Well," The Mayor said, wiping off his shoes for a final time, "I believe I have had quite enough of their little accidents for this week. Good day Jack, Sally." The two faced man scowled at Shock and Barrel again, and stormed out of the kitchen. He was muttering to himself out in the entry way before finally slamming the front door behind him.

Lock puked for a couple more minutes, until he was finally done for a short while. Without any protect from the sick child, Jack carried him back up to bed, while Sally quickly cleaned out the bucket, and hurried upstairs.

Shock and Barrel awkwardly stood in the middle of the kitchen. Barrel still a little confused on what had just happened turned to his friend.

"So was that our apology?"

Shock glanced over to the kitchens entry way the Mayor stormed out a couple minutes ago, "I guess," She said puzzled as well, "He basically said he didn't want to see us again this week."

Meanwhile upstairs, Jack carried the devil boy back into his bedroom, treating Lock like he was about to break if Jack wasn't careful enough when he lowered him back into bed. After he genitally placed him on the bed, he ever so carefully pulled the covers up, tucking him in.

Sally hurried into the room shortly after with the bucket, and lightly put it beside the bed.

Lock looked up at the ceiling mindlessly. After the third time he puked he decided he hated his life, and it wasn't worth living anymore, Life wasn't at all fair, he couldn't even wish to be dead because he was already dead, and how does one even get sick in their afterlife anyway? Life was completely stupid!

"The doctor should have something to help his stomach," Sally said to Jack.

"I can stay here with him, if you'd like to go get it Sally," Jack responded.

"If you don't mind Jack, I'd much rather stay here and take care of Lock, if that would be okay." Sally said shyly. It wasn't that she really minded to go, it wasn't a problem, just something in her heart had urged her to stay.

"I don't mind at all," The pumpkin king said brightly. He was actually relieved she offered because Jack didn't have the slightness idea how to tend to a sick child.

It was quiet for a moment, until Lock decided to break the silence, puking once again.

"You should go downstairs Jack," Sally said shooing the pumpkin king to the door, "Check on the other two."

The master of fright turned and looked at Lock, who was holding the bucket now, vomiting again. He gave him a sympathetic look before turning to go downstairs.

When the pumpkin king stepped back into the kitchen Shock and Barrel were sitting at the table.

"Is Lock okay?" Barrel asked, right when he noticed Jack.

Jack took a seat beside Shock, "He's pretty sick, but he will be fine."

"Would if he pukes all his guts out?" Shock giggled.

"That would be so cool!" Barrel snickered.

"I don't think that will happen," The master of fright chuckled.

It was quite for a moment, until Shock scrunched up her nose and spoke up, turning to Jack, "You know it's your fault Lock got sick."

The master of fright gave her a puzzled look, "How is it my fault?"

Barrel shot a look in Shocks direction, he knew where she was going with this, and he didn't like it one bit.

"You're the one that made us clean up in the freezing cold yesterday," Shock said spitefully.

Jack just snorted at such a ridiculous statement, "If you three didn't make such a terrible mess yesterday then none of you would have been outside, but what's done is done, and I think it's best we all just learn from what happened and move on," He said softly, in all honestly Jack had still felt guilty over punishing them, and it didn't help when one of them went out of their way to make him feel worse. He knew the three of them hated him, but he just wished they would understand he wanted to be their friend more than anything else, and when they did do bad things and were punished it wasn't because Jack hated them, but to hopefully put them on the right track and prove the town wrong about them being brats, which Jack strongly believed they were no such thing.

Shock wasn't that easy to sway away from a fight though, "The Mayor was mean to us, he had it coming," She snarled, "Isn't it what goes around comes around?"

"Why yes it is," The master of fright said simply, "That's why you shouldn't go out of your way to do terrible things because eventually karma will come back and bite them."

Shock had her mouth opened to say something back, but Barrel cut her off, to avoid any of them getting in trouble again.

"I'm hungry," The little boy whined, trying to change the subject.

Jack jumped right up, relieved to have the heated topic changed, "Sally was cooking breakfast, I'll just heat it up."

Shock was going to keep arguing with Jack, but the growl of her stomach told her she could save the fighting until later today.

After breakfast was done, Jack told Barrel and Shock they could go in the living room and watch TV if they would like, and he'd do the dishes.

They stepped into the living room, Shock jumped on the couch and curled up in a ball hoping to regain the hours of sleep she lost last night from nightmares, so Barrel snatched the remote first.

"What do you want to watch?" The youngest ex boogie boy asked, only to turn around and see Shock had already fallen asleep ... Who falls asleep that fast?

Barrel was about to turn the television on, but then turned to Shock hesitantly, if he woke her up she would kill him. Whenever anyone ever woke Shock up it wasn't fun or pretty. The youngest trick or treater set the remote back down, and turned to the kitchen where he heard Jack starting on the dishes. As much as Barrel didn't want to, he supposed now would be a good time to try to return on Jacks good side (if he was ever on his good side) when Lock and Shock wouldn't see him. If they saw him trying to be nice to the pumpkin king Barrel would never live it down.

He took a deep sigh, carefully placed the remote back on the coffee table, and toddled back into the kitchen.

Jack stood by the sink, happily humming to himself. He turned around when he heard a small creaking noise behind him. To much of his surprise Barrel was shyly standing in the entry way of the kitchen.

"Barrel, is something wrong?" Jack asked with a little concern.

The youngest ex boogie boy just stared at the floor, kicking one foot gently, "I was just wondering if you might have needed some..." Barrel swallowed hard, he never asked anything like this before, "Help," He finally managed to squeak.

The master of fright couldn't help, but smile, it gave him a spark of happiness to think Barrel would even go out of his way to ask, "That's very nice of you to ask Barrel," Jack said, "Really though, I'm fine, you can go sit with Shock in the living room, I don't mind at all."

"Yeah, but Shock fell asleep, I don't want to wake her." Barrel explained.

"Didn't she just wake up?" Jack asked, what child needed to sleep that much?

The youngest ex boogie boy just shrugged, "I don't know, just don't wake her up, she gets really cranky, kind of scary."

Jack couldn't help, but chuckle a bit at that last comment, before continuing, "Well how about you go upstairs and get ready to come too town with me."

"Okay," The little boy said dryly, he really didn't want to go, he'd rather stay at Skellington manor because at least there wasn't a whole town full of people that hated him, just Jack and probably Sally, but if Jack wanted him to go too town or do anything, and Lock and Shock weren't around to argue, Barrel thought he should grab at the opportunity when he could.

Barrel hurried upstairs to get ready, ready for him though was just changing into his every day clothes, a quick comb through his hair, and putting his mask on. He was just about to head downstairs, when he noticed Locks bedroom door was slightly open. The youngest ex boogie boy tip-toed over to the door and peaked inside, to find just Lock curled up in bed mindlessly looking up at the ceiling.

"How are you feeling?" Barrel asked, slowly opening the door.

Lock, darted his eyes at his friend, "How do I look," The devil boy snarled back.

"Terrible," Barrel said, ignoring his friends snappy sarcasm, slowly entering, "I think Jack is going to get you some medication to help."

"I heard them talking about that," Lock hissed, crossing his arms, "I'm not taking anything from them! I'll get better without their help, I bet, cough, cough cough I'll be feeling better in a-a-" Lock reached for the bucket, and vomited once again.

"Have you puked up again guts yet?" Barrel asked.

"Shut up you moron," Lock said with his head in the bucket still, just before puking again.

Barrel scrunched his face up at such a gross sight. If this is what would happen when you didn't wear your jacket, Barrel would never forget his coat ever again.

Sally hurried back into the room with a glass of water and some mints, she set them down on his nightstand, and took a seat beside Lock, he was still puking, so Sally held the bucket for him with one hand, and with the other patted his back, trying to be comforting.

Lock hated every moment of it, he didn't want her trying to do anything for him, he could take care of himself! Though every time he was about to argue that he didn't need anyone's help him, he puked again. Really the only thing he had the power to do at this moment was every time he stopped vomiting for at least a second, was flinch away from Sally when she started rubbing his back, but after he did that he just got sick all over again.

"Is he going to be okay Sally?" Barrel asked innocently, apparently forgetting that Jack had already said Lock would be fine earlier.

"Of course he will be okay," Sally warmly said, still tending to Lock, "Just the flu that's all."

"Or the plague," Lock said with his head still in the bucket, before throwing up again.

"How's he feeling?" Jack said, entering the room.

"How does it look?" Lock muffled, sarcastically.

Sally gave Lock a light smile, "He's still pretty bad." She said softly.

"Well I just came to tell you I'm going into town, to get some medicine, and a couple of other things he might need. Barrel's coming with me, and Shock fell asleep on the couch."

Sally's face became concerned, "Is Shock feeling alright?"

"She seemed fine at breakfast, just tired I guess," The pumpkin king said simply.

"Don't wake her!" Barrel cut in.

Jack turned to the small child and just chuckled, before turning back to Sally, "We'll be back soon my dear," He then turned to Lock, "And I hope you feel better," The master of fright said softly.

"Shut up," Lock muttered face still in the bucket.

Jack gave the boy a small grin, before turning to Barrel, "Alright, well let's go Barrel."

The youngest ex boogie boy obediently followed. Finally, his chance to get on Jack's good side..

I hope you guys enjoyed my newest chapter, I'll update asap. Tell me your thoughts, I'd love to hear them!